I have gotten a 165, 167, and a 164 on my last three practice tests. I am taking the November test, and I am looking to get a 170.
I struggle most on causal reasoning logic (and particularly on flaw, sufficient assumption, and parallel stems). Any tips on how to get 3-5 more questions right to reach my goal score? Thanks for any tips!!!
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Hi there! Cracking 170 can be difficult, but have faith in yourself! Where you're at right now is evidence that you have a strong LSAT foundation, and just need to work on the little things that are tripping you up. If you are noticing you particularly struggle with causal reasoning, I recommend 1) reviewing the Core Curriculum module on causal reasoning, and 2) doing targeted drilling for CausR questions. Targeted drilling is where you pick a specific goal (in this case, it would be working on/recognizing causal chains of logic and issues), and drill toward that goal. You should absolutely also do targeted drills for question types you struggle with, like flaw, SA, and parallel reasoning. You can also drill with a goal of close reading, or time management, or clear justification for wrong answers, etc!
It looks like you're also getting a question or two wrong in the first ten questions, at least in three of these sections. Try drilling a few easier questions in shorter amounts of time (maybe 90% time) with the goal of getting quick and precise in your reasoning for easier questions. If you are able to reliably get the first ten questions of a section right within ten minutes (at least for LR), that will get you some easier points on your PTs and on the actual test. Make sure you're not overthinking those first ten questions! They are often easy to overthink, and easier than they look.
One other tip: if you're struggling with causal reasoning on questions that ask you to analyze the argument structure (like flaw, SA, and parallel reasoning), try this: do one CausR question at a time, untimed (within these three question types). When you're done, look at the stimulus and spend some time creating an argument that could be parallel to it in reasoning. This requires you to identify the causal logic in the argument, and then re-create it in your own made-up argument. That will not only help you spot parallel arguments, but trying to match the structure of the argument with your own, brand new argument will help you dig deeper into what the causal reasoning is in the argument and how it flows (or, if it's a flawed argument, how it breaks/doesn't work). This is a great thing to do after reviewing the Core Curriculum module for CausR, since it will help you practice your causal logic skills and review before you dive into targeted drilling. Hopefully that helps!
@Josephine This definitely helps, thanks for ALL of your advice!!!
We are in the exact same position rn im crying
@Alexa16 We definitely will make the jump before test day! Just need a little push!!
@MarcusB SAME WE GOT THIS!